Like the perpetually disrespected horror genre, comedy never gets the props it deserves from the people who hand out awards. That's nothing new-- it's one of about a bajillion reasons why "awards season" is best ignored-- but it's also one of the reasons that there are simply too many great comedies out there that you probably haven't seen. Unless you're a film geek, the films we have listed below have very likely flown under your radar...but now you can get all caught up. Read on for our list of the "Top 10 Criminally Underseen Comedies", my gentle Examiner readers...
Let's face facts: you don't watch enough comedies. And if you do, there's a good chance that they're not great comedies. Consider the fact that Larry The Cable Guy: Health Inspector earned $15m at the box office. No great shakes, right? Well, here's where it gets suicidally depressing: In The Loop-- 2009's brilliant political comedy from director Armando Iannucci-- earned just $2m. If you've seen In The Loop, you're probably bawling your eyes out right now.
But that's OK! That's what we're here for: to share with you the name of ten comedies that might have slipped through your cracks (so to speak). These aren't necessarily the best films of the past however-many-years: these are the best comedies that you probably haven't seen over the past however-many-years. See the difference? Good. I knew you would. You've always been a smart cookie, and you've never let me down. Which is why I know you'll rush out and pick up every film on the following list.
Before we go on, be aware that some of these choices might not be the most popular choices ever made for a top ten list. Because of that, we're offering a little commentary, post-list, to help you understand why I've made the choices I have here. Yes, yes: I know that most people over the age of 25 have seen The Jerk 50 times over, but how many kids under the age of 25 have willingly exposed themselves to a Steve Martin movie after having The Pink Panther happen to them? Same goes for Tim Allen in Galaxy Quest. Audience fatigue might've kept people away from Seth Rogen in Observe and Report, just like it may have kept Michael Cera non-fans away from Youth in Revolt and Scott Pilgrim. But, look, we'll get to all that. For now, just check out the list:
- IN THE LOOP
- MYSTERY TEAM
- EVERYONE SAYS I LOVE YOU
- THE JERK
- GALAXY QUEST
- DEFENDING YOUR LIFE
- THE FOOT FIST WAY
- OBSERVE AND REPORT
- YOUTH IN REVOLT
- SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD
Now, some of those are films that you're probably going to take issue with: Hear me out.
Galaxy Quest, for instance, did fairly well at the box office, and there's plenty of film geeks out there that'll sing the film's praises. But lately, I've come across an alarming number of people (read: three) who have refused to see the film since its 1999 release because of A) the inclusion of Tim Allen, B) the fact that it seems like "it's based on Star Trek", and/or C) the inclusion of Tim Allen. Look, I can't defend Tim Allen's choices in film projects over the years-- there are multiple Santa Clause movies, and there's just no excusing that-- but I can tell you that if you've been holding off on seeing Galaxy Quest because of Tim Allen, you can rest assured that he turns in an awesome, genuinely funny performance here. And, yeah, it's kind of "based on" Star Trek, but it's not kissing its ass: Galaxy Quest-- to borrow a phrase from our British friends-- "takes the piss" out of Star Trek. Besides, if you hadn't noticed, JJ Abrams made Star Trek cool again.
Some will also take exception with my inclusion of The Jerk here. There's a very good reason for it being on this list, though: for some of our younger viewers, Steve Martin's just the guy who starred in those awful Pink Panther movies, or the Cheaper By The Dozen franchise (my God, it's a franchise, isn't it?). But did you know that Steve Martin used to make genuinely funny movies? This was long before you were born, and if you've denied yourself the pleasure of seeing The Jerk because you were once exposed to The Pink Panther 2, allow me to persuade you to take the plunge: Steve Martin used to be hilarious, and he was never funnier than he was in The Jerk. Seriously.
The Foot Fist Way and Observe in Report are both the work of Jody Hill, and both of them feature comedic actors being raging assh-les: in TFFW, it's Danny McBride; in Observe, it's Seth Rogen. Observe and Report had the misfortune of arriving after everyone had just about gotten tired of Seth Rogen (much like Youth in Revolt and Scott Pilgrim VS. The World-- both of which also made our list-- arrived after more than a few people had gotten tired of Michael Cera), but Rogen's playing against type in Hill's film, and he does so with amazingly funny results. Both TFFW and Observe have a very specific tone, one that's hard to place beyond "incredibly dark", but for those of you that like things a little on the pitch-black side, either of these films will leave you laughing your ass off. For the record, I prefer The Foot Fist Way to Observe and Report, but it's a close call thanks to Michael Pena's amazing work in the latter (his "You may think I walk on water" speech is one for the ages).
As for Everyone Says I Love You, well, I'm probably in the minority on that one. But if you're a Woody Allen fan and you don't mind some cheese-d-ck musical numbers mixed in with your standard-issue Woody Allen punchlines, you're going to enjoy the film. I was amazed when, after seeing the film for the first time, I discovered that virtually everyone dogpiled on the film upon its release. I'll allow that Everyone Says I Love You isn't for anyone, but if this musical comedy could warm the cockles of my charcoal black heart, then there's hope for you, too. The same goes for Albert Brooks' Defending Your Life, a film that some have targeted as "cheesy" and "incredibly cheesy". But I enjoyed the borderline sci-fi concepts that Brooks introduces in the film-- which finds him literally defending his life choices on trial in Heaven-- and thought that he and co-star Meryl Streep shared some genuine chemistry. Of all the films on this list, Everyone Says I Love You and Defending Your Life are the most likely to get me yelled at, but I'm sticking by my guns here: I loved these movies, and they're worth searching out...even if it's just so you can come back and tell me I'm a dumbass for including them here.
Finally, Mystery Team is the first-- and hopefully not the last-- film from Derrick Comedy, a sketch-comedy group from New York who have all gone on to bigger and better things since their college days, when Derrick was really going full-steam. Donald Glover, for instance, now stars on NBC's Community. Dominic Dierkes now runs The Anytime Show from Kevin Smith's Smodcastle in L.A. Aubrey Plaza-- not a member of the group but who appears in Mystery Team-- has been popping up everywhere lately, but is most recognizable from her work on NBC's Parks and Rec. I've embedded the trailer for the film over there on the left (which gets me out of recapping the plot for you here), and you should immediately follow-up your reading of this article with a trip to Best Buy, where you can purchase the film for what I'm sure will be a fair price: it's the best comedy you've never heard of, and I can virtually guarantee that.
Oh, and I've written about In The Loop so many times now, I'm just going to let that one stand. If you haven't seen In The Loop, you're missing the best comedy of the past decade. Better than anything else on this list, better than any other movie that came out in 2009, and probably better than any other comedy you've seen lately. Yes, even Larry The Cable Guy: Health Inspector. Get it today, sucker.
Well, what are you waiting for, folks? You've got some purchases to make. If you know of a criminally-underseen comedy that you'd like to tell me about, feel free to drop me a line. As for the rest of you, sound off in the comments section if you want to support the above choices...or tell me why I'm wrong.
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